Die, My Love
by Helvetica Black
Summary: She is different now. Different from the girl so many had loved. A different species, a different woman, with a different perspective, different goals and a very, very different heart. So, with all that has changed, who is this vengeful vampire called Bella Swan? (Pairing to be revealed in later chapters)
1. A Deadly Encounter

**I. A DEADLY ENCOUNTER**

**A/N: This is my first shot at this pairing (which is something you'll figure out in later chapters) and I hope I do justice to all Twilight characters I'll include in this fic, and trust issues in general. Oh how I love trust issues, they're so much fun to write!**

* * *

Bella Swan was the definition of a _femme fatale_. Slender, beautiful and dangerous, her very appearance screamed that she was a danger to anyone who crossed her — and maybe to some who didn't. People were intimidated by her, and that was just the way she liked it. If there was one thing Bella Swan hated, it was contact with any form of sentient being. Humans were an obvious _no_ — for she liked keeping her contact with them to a minimum. And vampires — that was complicated. She both liked and didn't like vampires. It all depended on who the vampire was. "Friend," "Foe" and "Fucker," those were the three vampire categories. Only one vampire belonged to the last one though.

And as for wolves...

She stared into the brown eyes of a tan wolf, her mind calculating, thinking. Had he followed her? The night before, she had run into him in the woods while hunting, and when she showed him that she only hunted animals, she thought he would leave her alone. It was too much to hope for, it seemed, for the wolf had somehow found her again.

The wolf inched his huge head closer, his brown nose twitching as he sniffed the air around her.

She froze.

The wolf cocked his head to the side, as if curious of her scent. Except it wasn't possible for a wolf to be _curious_ about a vampire. The only thing a wolf ever felt about a vampire was hatred. That, and the urge to kill. It was strange that he didn't kill her right then and there in the forest when he first saw her.

Bella remained as still as possible, her vampire mind scanning through the possibilities. The wolf was alone, and most probably without a pack. He was smaller than the other wolves she knew, so he was probably young. Was he from where she thought he was?

"You can understand me, can't you?" she asked with a soft voice. Talking to an animal made her feel stupid.

The wolf huffed in response, then sniffed and growled before nodding his head. _Yes_, his brown eyes told her, _I can understand you, you strange-smelling girl._

"Can you phase so we can talk?" When the wolf only tilted his head curiously, she continued, "I'm not a fan of one-sided conversations, and I want to know what you want from me. I already showed you that I don't hunt humans."

The wolf only growled at her, then stalked away as if it never saw her.

_Huh, _she thought unamusedly. _What a weirdo._

At the back of her mind, she knew that it wouldn't be the last she saw of him.


	2. A Dead Lover

**II. A DEAD LOVER**

**A/N: I love coffee. And kickass heroines. I deliver you both. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

* * *

Bella Swan didn't walk. She _sauntered_. And as it was, she sauntered into a café, a small duffel bag in hand, and ordered an Americano _on the rocks_ and a cappuccino before choosing to sit on her favored couch. It was the Fourth of July, and the café was almost empty, with only the hardcore caffeine addicts populating the place when everyone else was too busy putting up flags of the United States of America by their front doors. The perfect day for coffee, by Bella Swan's book.

Soon enough, a few seconds after the coffee landed on her table, a man entered the cafe, his burgundy eyes making a quick scan of the place before boring into hers. She remained in her seat and winked at him, even as he glared at her and sat on the couch across the table from her.

"Welcome to America, _Signore_," she said with a grin. "I already ordered for you, hope you don't mind."

He grabbed the coffee mug by its handle, his stare incredulous and annoyed. He glared at the iced coffee in her hands. "The cappuccino is mine? Surely this is a joke, Isabella. I just came from Italy."

She shrugged. "I thought you were a cappuccino kind of guy."

"Then you are a fool," he said quickly. "Not even in Italy do I let such a foul thing touch my lips. How you are able to stomach such a disgusting human beverage is beyond me. However, that is besides the point. What seems to be so _important_, Isabella, that you would have me fly across the seas to have a chat over a cup of black garbage? You said it was 'a matter of life and death.'"

"I wanted a playmate."

"Playmate?"

"Yes. I'm playing human, in case you haven't noticed. And it gets lonely after so many months. And so boring."

"Playing human," he said with noticeable disgust. "An unnecessary and entirely idiotic habit of yours, if I must say." He sighed and pretended to sip his coffee. "So. I am _playing_ now. Tell me why I am having this cup of brackish liquid you Americans call coffee." He sniffed at the cup and grunted in disgust before carefully setting it down.

Bella took a swig of her iced coffee before answering with a flat face, "I told you. I was lonely. And bored."

"Enough with the drivel, Isabella."

"Fine," She stared at him, and decided to head straight to the point. "I want my revenge."

His eyes, cooled by age and hardened by experience, warmed and softened at her words. "Of course, Isabella. You shall have it, of that I am certain."

"I want it now."

"I know you do."

"So what's taking so long, then? Why do I have to keep hiding?"

"Such things take time to prepare, little one. And what we are orchestrating for you, Isabella, takes years."

"It has been years. Three years I've waited, Felix. Three years wasted."

"And surely, being what you now are, you can wait that much longer, and waste that much more."

She sighed and sagged on the couch, no longer enjoying the scent of coffee.

"... How is _he_?" She asked in resignation. It was a question she was trying to avoid, but one she couldn't keep herself from asking anyway.

Felix looked her straight in the eye. "_He_ is beside himself with worry as of the moment. _He_ searches for you endlessly. Will you not give _him_ a call?"

"I don't want to talk to _him_ right now." Maybe not ever.

Felix exhaled. "I thought as much. You know, being what he is, he hates not knowing how to find you. Your absence, and his inability to track you, is slowly driving him — and in turn, all of us — insane. Surely you have some morsel of mercy in you? Return to Volterra and restore the balance within its walls."

She laughed. "You're cute when you exaggerate, Felix."

"I have done no such thing." He frowned, sighed. "He goes in and out of the city, you know, seemingly lost, always restless and miserable." He pulled out his cell phone with a flourish, and placed it on the table, between the two cups of coffee. "You may call Heidi if you doubt me."

Bella cringed and pushed the phone back at him. "Fine. Then you're not exaggerating. But it doesn't matter. I won't be one of his conquests."

"Of course not. You are his mate."

"Not the 'mate' crap again," she groaned in annoyance. "Damn it, Felix. I thought you knew better than to be such a... such a _housewife_. Why do you think I left Volterra in the first place?"

"I thought it was because you were overwhelmed by your mating bond."

"Please. There is no 'mating bond.' I left because of vampire _housewives_ like you, nagging me about the whole thing like it's any business of yours."

Felix visibly flinched, and rose up from his seat in a flash. "Well, now that I have given you relationship advice, is there anything else you might want to discuss? Anything _important_ at all, as you have mentioned in your phone call?"

She smirked. "I ran into two vampires last week."

A slow nod. The ire almost completely left his eyes. "I see. I trust you've done what is necessary?"

She shrugged. "Sure, after some effort. There were two of them, and only one of me. I'm not Superman. And it didn't help that I sort of knew them."

He sank back on his seat, his expression curious. "Cullens?"

She shook her head. "Nomads. You remember Jasper Whitlock?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then you know Peter and Charlotte," she muttered simply. Peter is... _was_, Jasper's best friend and second-in-command when they were still part of Maria's vampire militia group. Charlotte was Peter's mate.

Felix remained silent for a few minutes, his face blank and devoid of expression. A sign of surprise, Bella noted. Or appraisal. She wasn't an expert in vampire facial expressions yet. Felix let out a slow, lazy grin. "I am impressed, Isabella."

_For a reason_, she thought. Peter didn't get to be Jasper's second by being a soggy biscuit. In fact, Bella was lucky she even _survived_ that fight. Peter and Charlotte weren't exactly expecting the "Cullen Pet" to end up a vampire, much less a vampire that would want to kill them. If they'd known about her being a vampire, Bella wouldn't have stood a chance. The element of surprise was what gave her the upper hand.

Not that she would ever tell Felix _that_. She had her dignity.

"When you return to Volterra," continued Felix, he wore a predatory smile that was all too familiar to Bella, "After all formalities and pleasantries, we must duel. We simply must. I find myself mightily interested in your fighting prowess."

"No, thanks," she said with a smile that came out as more of a grimace. Thoughts of Emmett's similar words echoed in her mind. She perished that thought and smiled at Felix instead. "I make it a point to not abuse the hired help."

Felix burst into peals of laughter at that. "Master will adore you even more if he hears you say that."

Bella shuddered at the thought of being adored by Aro, of all people. "I'll remember to keep my mouth shut in Volterra, then."

"You are priceless, Isabella," Felix said between gasps, "Utterly priceless! Do come home soon, young one. Volterra is doomed without your sparkling wit and humor."

Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. I'm the freaking Messiah. Are you still going to drink your coffee?"

"No," Sobered up, Felix stood and pushed his hands into his pockets. "I will take my leave. Master doesn't know I've left Volterra."

"You left without permission. You're not very smart, are you?"

Felix fixed her with a glacial stare. "Watch yourself, Isabella. I don't take kindly to insults. Especially when your misleading phone call was the reason I left in the first place."

"Right. I keep forgetting that. Did I really say that it's a matter of life and death? Anyway, I still can't believe you really flew in just for coffee and a chat about my relationship issues."

Felix frowned. "I can scarce believe it myself. So: two vampires, currently disposed of. Is that all I need to know? Nothing else?"

Bella remembered the wolf she saw a few days back and thought about saying something, but in the end decided to remain silent. Not everything had to be reported to the Volturi.

"Yeah," she said brightly. "That's everything."


	3. Dead In America

**III. DEAD IN AMERICA**

* * *

The only consolation she had as the humans around her celebrated the Independence Day, surrounding her with so much temptation (to kill them) and inevitably putting her in a foul mood (which might make her kill them), was the fact that she'd pulled a good one on Felix. The guy had it coming anyway, with his constant calls and texts nagging her to "kindly return to Volterra" and to "please talk to your mate, lest I end up killing him."

No way she was going back to that place when everyone kept pulling the "you're his mate" crap on her. It was redundant to the extreme. It was bad enough that they all dressed the same, but did they also have to say the same thing over and over like a bunch of broken records?

"You're his mate."

"He's your mate."

"You are mates."

Christ. She'd heard the word "mate" so many times in the two years she'd spent there, that the word began to sound funny to her. Now when she heard it, all she could think about were pirates and rabbits.

She laughed, a bitter sound that sounded like fingernails being dragged across a blackboard. _Mate_. A slow ache began in her chest, deep and familiar. She smiled to herself. She wasn't his _mate_. There was simply no way for that to be the case.

She took her phone out and gave the little yellow telephone icon at the corner of the screen a cursory glance. 215 missed calls, all from _him_, in just one day. She'd be crazy to call that obsessed psycho stalker. She _shouldn't_ call him. She _wouldn't_.

She sighed, bit her lip and dialed his number.

He answered on the first ring. "Bella! Where are you? Are you all right?"

She wanted to laugh. Not because she was happy to hear his deep voice, but because he sounded so worried and so stupid. How could she possibly be his mate? She couldn't even stand being his phone pal.

"I'm fine," she replied tersely. There was nothing else to say. She wouldn't dare tell him which country she was in, much less her exact location. There was just something creepy about telling a virtual stranger where to find you. It's like inviting someone to stalk you, which, by the way, was exactly what he would have done if she'd told him where she was. He'd stalk her. It was something he normally did, mate or not. It was his purpose in life. He was a glorified GPS.

Any information she'd give him would be used as a clue on her location, and she wanted to steer far far away from the crazy "your-mate-his-mate" stuff, thank you very much.

Funny how she didn't mind so much when it was Felix asking her where she was.

He seemed to panic when she didn't say any more. "Why did you call? Is there a problem?"

She wanted to double over in laughter. Was there _a_ problem_?_ She had a whole freaking _ocean_ of problems. She breathed problems and ate them for breakfast. "No. None at all. Felix told me to call you."

"I... oh." the excitement died out of his voice. "I guess I'm being some sort of a bother to everyone here, including Felix."

No kidding.

"Right. So..." She began awkwardly, "How are things over there?"

She could tell he wanted to say something cheesy like "terrible without you" or "lifeless and grey since you've been gone." It was just there, in the little pause he made. But she'd always dropped the call whenever he did that (back when she still answered his calls), so he probably decided that cheese was not the way to go.

"Like usual. Aro misses you."

Yeah, right. The only thing Aro "missed" was her mental muteness. The creeper would hold her hand for the longest periods of time that it was way beyond awkward, and then he'd sigh as if they were in a porno. Felix and Santiago had to restrain her "mate." Felix said it was because "the bond was new and volatile," and newly mated vampires were overly possessive.

"That's... nice," If nice was a euphemism for creepy, awkward and irritating. "Tell him I said hi."

"I will." He remained silent for a few seconds. "Are you in America?"

She reflexively pressed the "End Call" button. Too little, too late. He already knew.

A couple passed by her table talking about how this year's Independence Day fireworks should be better than last year's. She paid attention, close attention, to her surroundings, and wondered how she could be so stupid. She was in a café. A _café_, for Crissakes. People _talked_ in cafés. Of course he heard conversations over the phone; super-hearing and all that.

She pushed her phone back into her pocket so deep it might never see the light of day. Christ, she'd been so _dumb_. What force of complete stupidity took over her and made her call him, while in a café of all places?

A howl came from somewhere. Somewhere not nearby, but not too far away. She cocked her head left and right, wondered if the humans heard, too. The café fell quiet.

"Was that a wolf?" A highschool girl asked her friend. They were huddled at the table near the door. Another howl pierced the quasi-silence in the building.

A few old men in the table next to them laughed out loud. "That's a wolf, all right," one of them said. "Like I'd forget what a wolf sounds like. We get all kinds here, kid. They're pretty much harmless."

Bella snorted. Harmless. Jacob would have phased in a room full of humans if he heard that.

Thinking about Jacob made her think of the wolf she'd met a few days ago. Who was he? Was he Quileute? Did other Native American tribes have wolf legends too?

The wolf bothered her. She ran into him twice now. What did that mean? Was he stalking her?

Why was it that _everybody_ stalked her?


End file.
